s/nba_articles - The next chapter: The end of the draft! 📚🔚

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‎ ‎ ‎‎‎ For years, the draft has rewarded teams for losing, giving them the top picks as a reward for failure. 😬

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Wondering why it’s time to let go of this flawed system? 🤔 Let’s break it down. 🕺

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The Jazz were fined $100,000 for sitting Lauri Markkanen against the Wizards on March 5. Other teams have drawn suspicion for tanking.

Amongst other faults & issues inside the world of basketball, one is much more clear to the public eye than others, from the early days with the BAA, to the days of the coin flip, draft devotee's always "smelt a rat 🐀." Now that issue has grown, It's become more than just a facade in which teams send their stars to LA in exchange for a new younger star ⭐, it is a blatant exploitation that's being abused much more than the child stars at Disney. Back in 1985, the late Commissioner David Stern created the draft lottery to combat 'tanking,' after the Houston Rockets pulled off one of the most notorious tank jobs in NBA history to land Hakeem ‘The Dream’ Olajuwon. Now on paper 📜 this was the solution, a randomized lottery allowing any of the non-playoff teams to acquire #1, would make teams stop trying to lose and start trying to win right? Well fast forward 40 years, and the issue has only gotten worse. From the days where two teams tried to out tank each other, we now have more than half the league trying to be in the draft lottery. Teams would now rather be in the draft lottery than in the playoff itself. Watching basketball now, it seems as if the goal is to get the #1 pick not the NBA Championship. During the infamous bubble, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver decided to "put an end" to the tank. The NBA's latest solution came into effect. The "Play-In." Instead of 8 teams from each conference directly making the playoffs, 1-6 were guaranteed spots, and teams from 7-10 would face off in a post-season battle where 7/8 face off with the winner going to the playoffs, and the loser facing the winner of 9/10 to see who goes to the playoffs. Well kind-of? Watching these games feel more like watching who goes into the lotto than who goes into the playoffs

The Dallas Mavericks were notoriously fined $750,000 by the NBA for intentionally losing a NBA Play-In game against the Chicago Bulls on the 7th of April 2023, ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎a move designed to eliminate themselves from Play-In contention to protect their first-round draft pick.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎The Las Vegas, Sorry The

‎ ‎ ‎Dallas Mavericks have a colorful history with the draft. In fact forgetting them tanking in 2017, Mavs Governor Mark Cuban, paid a $600,000 fine in 2018 for publicly admitting that the Mavs were tanking. And guess what. It worked. In the 2018 draft the Dallas Mavericks had their top 4 pick and with it they used it to get The Don, The El Matador, The Wonder Boy, ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ LUKA DONCIC.

Fast forward 6/7 years, Luka has put on 100 pounds and it didn't come by itself, as with the extra weight there was it's fair share of setbacks, including a few ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎nagging injuries. So guess what happens, the Dallas Mavericks trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers for 29 games of Anthony Day-to-Davis.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎NOW WHY THE FUCK WOULD SOMEONE DO THIS!

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Well, Well, Well

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ With The 1st Pick In The 2025 Draft, The Dallas Mavericks Select COOPER FLAGG!

As a proud Muslim LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈 member (Lakers, Go Before The Quran) I can tell you, that the Mavericks did not luck out and get the first pick but instead, LeGm and Barnacle Boy went behind closed curtains and decided to join me in the LQBTQ Community by lighting fires in Los Angeles to celebrate the arrival of LeSuccessor, (~~not LeNut~~), LeDoncic! I could go on and on, on how the Mavericks struck silver in the lotto, with the worst possible odds, but instead of doing so, I will reveal to you the solution on preventing these sort of under-the-table dealings, and, more importantly, put an end to teams tanking under the false promise of a #1 pick.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ THE SOLUTION?

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Say FUCK YOU! To The Draft And Move On.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ THE NBA ACADEMY.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎Forget lotteries. Forget tanking. Forget teams pretending to “rebuild” while secretly playing musical chairs with wins and losses.

The NBA draft has now become a circus of incompetence, a playground for losing, and a casino for executives with too much ‎‎free time and too little shame.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The NBA Academy is my concept ©️ that I am putting forward to get rid of tanking.

To Americans reading this fanspost: Football ⚽, the #1 sport in the world, does not reward its teams for being bad. You would get kicked out or demoted from the respective football league, and guess what? THEY DON'T HAVE A CORRUPT SYSTEM KNOWN AS THE DRAFT. Players grow up in academies built around the competitive nature of the sport, conditioning them to be ready for both the physical and mental demands of professional sports.

NBA Academy Structure

Each NBA team will have its own academy, where prospects can be enrolled after their 14th birthday.
14–16 years old: Prospects can be added to the developmental roster, but they will not be formally signed to the academy until after their 16th birthday.
- Compete in the U16 division of the developmental league.
- After their 16th Birthday, Players are allowed to sign a maximum 3-year contract with and join they academy as a paid talent (on around 50k per year).
- Focus on advanced tactics, exposure to NBA level coaching, and professional habit development.
- Focus on skill development, strength conditioning, and understanding team systems.
17–18 years old: Players enter the main division of the academy, competing in the U18 division of the league.
Each league allows 3 overage exempt players up to 22 years old, to provide leadership and mentoring for younger players.
After their 18th Birthday, Players are allowed to sign and join with either there NBA team or G-League Affiliate as a professional. (more detail in contract section)
- Focus on advanced tactics, exposure to NBA level coaching, and professional habit development.

D-League

D-League accommodates players aged 19–22 not signed by NBA teams.
Allows 3 overage exempt players from any age, including over 22.
Players can sign a G-Way contract sponsored by Gatorade, earning $50k per year.
Players may compete in both the D-League and the G League, with a maximum 20-game eligibility in the G League. 💪
The D-League emphasizes:
- Physical and mental conditioning for professional play
- Tactical development in real NBA-style systems
- Scouting exposure for eventual NBA contracts

Contracts

Standard NBA Academy contracts by age:
- Age 18: 3y/$3m
- Age 19: 4y/$4m
- Age 20: 4y/$5m
- Age 21: 4y/$6m
- Age 22: 4y/$7m
Teams may offer 2 Extended Flagg Exception Contracts per season, doubling the salary but keeping contract years the same.
Example: Las Vegas has a talented 18 year old, they could sign him to a 3y/$6m contract using 1 of their 2 Flagg Exceptions.
Contracts include mentorship, training bonuses, and educational obligations to ensure holistic development. 📚

Unsigned Players

Players who turn 23 without an NBA contract can:
- Sign with any NBA team
- Join the NBA G-League
Players who have never participated in professional NBA games (via two-way contracts or otherwise) can return to College/NCAA.
Pathways ensure players remain competitive while maintaining eligibility for NCAA. 🎓

Education Requirements

Players joining the academy at 14 must stay in high school till the ages of 18.
Teams provide Folk High School, covering academic studies and sports science 24/7, helping combat the 5.3% dropout rate in the U.S.
At 18, students not signed to full-term NBA contracts are encouraged to attend college while still participating in NCAA basketball where they can earn NIL money. As season's are built not to collide
D-League season: mid-April to end of August
D-League playoffs: September–October
NCAA season: November–March 🏫

Equal Opportunity & Full-Funded Pathway 💰🏀

One of the biggest issues in today’s NBA is that many prospects who make it to the league come from wealthy families, simply because access to private trainers, travel teams, and elite camps costs tens of thousands of dollars. The NBA Academy solves this by making everything fully funded for all enrolled players, regardless of background.

All training, coaching, housing, and meals are covered for academy players. 🏠🍎
Players have access to strength and conditioning programs, nutrition plans, medical care, and mental coaching without paying a dime. 💪🧠
Travel to games, tournaments, and showcases is fully covered, giving players exposure to scouts and recruiters they wouldn’t otherwise get. ✈️🌍
Academic education is also included, with Folk High School and college prep fully funded, ensuring players don’t need wealthy families to succeed off the court. 🎓

This creates a fairer, more competitive league, and gives every young athlete, regardless of income, a genuine shot at professional basketball. ⚡🏀

Academy Rosters & League Structure

U16 division:
- No limit on enrollment
- 6 eligible leagues; top = Premiership division
U18 division:
- 3 leagues; main = Premiership league
- Teams have 10-man rosters, up to 20 on prospective contracts for training purposes so in total 50 prospects.
- Replacement allowed for injured players only
U22 (D-League):
- Main league = 12-man roster limit
- Secondary “Last League” = 8-man roster
Academies also hold developmental training camps, skills workshops, and cross-academy tournaments to encourage competition and exposure. ⚡

Trades & Exceptions

Without draft picks, trades continue. Teams may trade:
- Players normally
- Flagg exceptions
- Academy roster spots
- Triennial Tree Plant Exception 🌳: Max 3y/$28m, used for free agency.
- The Tree Plant exception also has another more enticing benefit which allows teams to use it as cap relief over 3 seasons using as much as they went in any particular season with a minimum of $3m per season
Teams can use/have a max 3 Tree-Plant Exceptions per 3 seasons (that are acquired via trades)
The system ensures fairness while giving teams flexibility for roster management

Draft Reform – The Bediako Pathway

Prospects who's contracts have expired, that play overseas, or are in NCAA can enter a 1-round draft:
- Eligible: players over 18 overseas or with expired academy contracts
- Teams with weaker academies receive higher picks (no lotto)
- Drafted players sign a 1-year two-way deal
- Trades only allowed on draft night; contracts have no-trade clauses

This draft isn’t made to reward NBA teams for losing games. It doesn’t help teams that try to tank on purpose.

Instead, it helps teams that aren’t good at developing players in their academies. If an academy is weak or doesn’t have strong prospects, the draft gives that team a fair chance to improve. It’s there to balance things out, not reward failure.

Big Market Considerations

Players 18+ may only sign with two academies
Roster limits:
- U18 = 10
- D-League = 12
Players consider first-team minutes: e.g., Kings vs. Lakers
The system encourages talent distribution and avoids big-market dominance ⚡

Additional Notes

Academy players progress based on performance, skill growth, and discipline
Mentorship by overage exempt players ensures culture and professional standards
Academies focus on:
- Tactical and physical development
- Academic and personal growth
- Preparing players for professional contracts and national team play
Annual academy showcases and combines provide exposure to scouts and NBA executives ✨‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

The Draft Had Its Era. This Is The Next One.

No more of treating the season like a lottery ticket instead of a championship chase.

The NBA Academy flips that.

No tanking. No ping pong balls. No praying for 14% odds.

Just development, structure & basketball.

Will it be perfect? No. No system is.

But it rewards growth instead of failure. It builds players instead of gambling on them. It forces organizations to invest in coaching, scouting, and education instead of strategic losing.

The draft was exciting. The lottery was dramatic.

But drama shouldn’t come at the cost of competitive integrity.

So maybe it’s time to stop asking:

“Who’s getting the #1 pick?”

And start asking:

“Who’s building the best system?”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The future of the NBA shouldn't be luck, It should be earned. 🏀🔥

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Follow ✅, Like👍 & Flame🔥 for weekly detailed content and stay locked in for what’s coming next.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ Posted by, your Fanspo Creator 👋

The next chapter: The end of the draft! 📚🔚